Memoirs of a Hyuga
by Wynter Hardy
Summary: A recollection of the life and times of Hizashi Hyuga, leading up to his death. Includes Hiashi Hyuga, Neji Hyuga, Hinata Hyuga, and Hanabi Hyuga.
1. Meeting

_I have become rather obsessed with Hizashi Hyuga so I decided to give him some love. This is a re-working of the previous "Memoirs of a Hyuga". _

**Meeting**

"Make sure Hiashi looks absolutely perfect. I want to be certain that he makes a good impression as my heir." Hitori Hyuga commanded as the maids scrubbed his eight year old son's skin raw and brushed his long hair out carefully.

"Of course, Lord Hitori." The maids bowed respectfully as they continued with their task of cleaning up the eldest Hyuga son. Hitori nodded and left the room to finish his own preparations.

The bi-annual clan head summit was later on that afternoon. This was Hitori's chance to introduce his heir Hiashi to the rest of the clan heads as well as poke around for any relevant information from the other clans. The two particular leaders he was hoping to see were Masaru Uchiha and Kamikaze Uragiri. They also had sons Hiashi's age and he was eager to see how Hiashi compared to them. Perhaps he might even initiate a little sparring.

"Father, am I…presentable?" a small voice interrupted Hitori's thoughts. It was his youngest son, Hizashi. Hizashi had been scrubbed thoroughly and his hair was washed and pulled back from his face in a loose ponytail. He was clad in a semi-formal yukata and his cursed seal glowed on the pale skin of his forehead like acid. Hitori had been debating on whether or not to show Hizashi as well, but he also knew that Uragiri had twin sons and he was one to be outdone.

"Yes. Hizashi, go wait with your brother while finish up. We will depart shortly." Hitori said dismissively.

"Yes, Father."

When he arrived at the meeting place, Hitori was not surprised to see the heads of the other clans already milling about. The clan heads of those on closer terms seemed to be talking more easily than those who had more tenuous relations. He saw the Akimichi and Nara clan heads as well as their sons chatting and sharing some kind of snack. However, his eyes were immediately drawn to the Uragiri and Uchiha standing a few yards away.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. I hope the day finds you well." Hitori smoothly interrupted the two other clan heads' conversation. The other men looked slightly taken back, but then focused their attention the young boys in front of him. Hitori lightly tapped Hiashi, indicating that he should stand up straight, and detached his shyer son from his leg. "These are my sons, Hiashi and Hizashi. Hiashi here is my heir. He is proving to be very strong in his Gentle Fist training."

Masaru nodded whilst Kamikaze's face remained passive. Hitori wondered if the Uragiri leader was in the right stand of mind. He knew how the clan's bloodline limit, the Norogan had a tendency to split their personalities. But Kamikaze seemed okay for the time being.

"This is Fugaku." Masaru pushed a sulky young boy forward. He had the iconic black eyes of the Uchiha and looked to be in a bad mood. He stared at the Hyuga twins, unimpressed, and gazed off somewhere else. Masaru nudged Kamikaze, annoyed with his own son's behavior.

"Oh," Kamikaze seemed to snap out of a daze and two boys with fiery red hair stepped out from behind him, smiling. "Meet Chikara and Kokoro. We have not concluded which one will become the next head."

Hitori noticed the other clan heads filing into the building and turned to the boys, who were busy staring each other down. "Boys, we have to head into the meeting now. Why don't you acquaint yourselves with each other? After all, you will be ruling side by side." And with that, they were gone.

* * *

Hizashi tossed a couple of stones into the river, watching the ripples fan out before disappearing. How he wished he really could disappear like that sometimes. He was so shy and it made it hard for him to talk to people and make friends. Hiashi was so confident; he'd easily won over the Uragiri boy, a couple of other heirs, and the Inuzuka girl seemed to have a small crush on him. Hiashi had tried to include Hizashi, as he often did, but the social situation was too much and he'd fled to the safety of the river bank.

"Hey." A voice called quietly. "You're one of the Hyuga twins right? I'm guessing Hizashi since Hiashi is back at the courtyard."

"Y-yes, I'm H-Hizashi." Hizashi stuttered, turning slightly to face the other person on the bank. It was one of the Uragiri boys, but he couldn't recall which one.

The Uragiri sat next to him, taking the rock from his hands and tossing it before looking at him. "I'm Chikara. Why are you here and not with your brother?"

"I-I don't really like l-lots of p-people…" Hizashi turned back to the river.

"Ah I see. Don't blame ya. Kokoro is more of the people person out of the two of us. He'll probably end up being the next clan head."

"Hiashi is the next clan head…I'm just a branch member…" Hizashi glanced at Chikara and then back down. "You should be talking to him, not me."

"But you seem nicer and besides, I like quiet people like you. I can be loud enough when I want to be. Hmm, what's that?" Chikara poked the curse mark with his index finger.

"It's my c-curse mark…it k-keeps me from…a-acting out of l-line…" Hizashi whispered.

"Does it hurt?"

"S-sometimes…"

Chikara smiled at him. "Well I'm learning some medical ninjutsu so when it hurts, I'll make the pain go away."

Hizashi looked up. He knew that it wasn't possible, but the fact that Chikara had offered to help him when he was so used to being ignored was special to him. Suddenly, Lord Uragiri and Kokoro appeared on the river in a cloud of smoke. Kokoro's arm was bandaged, indicating that he'd been in a fight. "Chikara. Come, son. It is time to go home."

Before going to his father, Chikara turned to the Hyuga. "You're in my Academy class right?"

Hizashi nodded.

"I thought so. Wanna sit with me and Ikasu tomorrow?"

"S-s-sure."

"Wow, you stutter a lot, but see ya tomorrow! Second desk from the window." And he disappeared with his father and brother.

Hizashi couldn't believe it; he'd made a friend.

_Review please ^.^_


	2. Friendship, Part I

**Friendship, Part I**

Hizashi was more than a little anxious to go into the classroom. What if Chikara had lied to him? Why would he even want a branch member to sit with him? These questions swirled around Hizashi's mind, killing any self-confidence he had.

_But I like quiet people like you._

Chikara's voice rang in his head. He liked people like him. Everything would be okay. Slowly, Hizashi inched his way into the classroom. Hiashi was already seated at his desk, Tsume fawning all over him and Kokoro making jokes. He caught sight of Fugaku and a dark haired girl conversing at another desk. And then he looked over near the window; sure enough there was Chikara sitting with a girl he assumed was Ikasu. He strode over to the desk and took a seat, mentally sighing in relief as the two looked over and smiled at him.

The girl stuck out her hand. "Ikasu Yorukobi. Nice to meet you. You have pretty eyes. There's like a small lavender tint to them." She was quite beautiful. She had long orange bangs that matched her eyes and the rest of her black hair was cut short. He shook her hand. "Hizashi Hyuga. And thank you. It's really the only distinction between me and Hiashi actually."

Ikasu giggled and Chikara smirked. Maybe this making friends thing wasn't as hard as he thought. The teacher entered the room and the class settled down, ready for lessons. Throughout the day, however, the three talked and learned more about each other. Well it mostly Hizashi learning about Ikasu and Chikara seeing as they had known each other for their entire lives. Hizashi noticed that his stutter, though still present, was less noticeable.

Class had just ended for the day and Hizashi was waiting patiently for Hiashi by the swing. It had been almost half an hour since Hiashi had requested "a few minutes" with Tsume. Knowing he could not return to the compound without his brother, Hizashi sat down on the swing and looked up at the sky. A few birds flew overhead; Hizashi had always liked birds.

"Um, Hizashi?" a familiar voice called.

He focused his attention on the girl in front of him. It was Ikasu. "Yes?"

"Um, are you going to the Fire Festival?" Ikasu kicked at a rock near her shoe.

"I haven't really thought about it."

"You should go! I mean, you can come with me and Chikara."

"Thanks. I'll ask my father."

* * *

Hizashi was surprised that his father had actually let him go out with others without Hiashi. He must have wanted to train Hiashi in some more secret main branch techniques and the Fire Festival was the perfect way of getting rid of the lowly side branch twin. Hizashi was a little disappointed that their father would never train him in all of the clan's secret techniques, but he knew his brother would share them with him later. So there he was, brushing his hair and dressing himself in a nice yukata. He was actually quite excited to be getting out of the house. Now he understood why Hiashi was always gone when he had the chance.

Chikara and Ikasu were waiting for him at the festival entrance. Chikara had on a simple yukata with the family's crest embroidered on it while Ikasu was clad in a yellow spring kimono. She grabbed his hand and led him into the festivities.

He was thoroughly surprised as to how much he enjoyed himself at the festival. He'd won several games with Chikara, munched on a variety of different snacks and treats, gotten a kiss on the cheek from Ikasu, and concluded the night watching the fireworks show. He'd had fun, spending time with people his age. He'd had fun with _friends_.

This night would be the first of many.


	3. Graduation Day

**Graduation Day**

"Can you believe we're graduating today, Hizashi? It's been a tough couple of years, but we're finally done!" Hiashi gushed as he finished getting dressed. He'd put his hair up and taken it down a multitude of times and had finally opted to leave it down. He inspected himself in the mirror again.

"Well we won't be graduating if we don't get there…" Hizashi quipped quietly. He'd finished dressing a while ago and was semi-patiently waiting for his brother. He'd also left his hair down, a detour from his usual loose ponytail. He was looking forward to a shiny new Leaf headband to replace the bandana he wore over his forehead to cover his curse mark. Hiashi chucked his brush at him before leading the way out of the door.

At the Academy, the buzz was even louder than usual. The younger students ran around, practicing some recently learned skills. Older students had moved into groups and were conversing or catching up on assignments. And the graduating class was excitedly filing in, ready to receive their headbands and their team assignments. Hizashi quickly found his seat between Ikasu and Chikara.

"Alright class," the teacher cleared his throat, "settle down." When the class didn't settle down, the teacher set off a small paper bomb, the noise effectively silencing the class.

"Okay, that was uncalled for!" Chikara blurted out. Hizashi sighed; Chikara had grown into quite a disrespectful adolescent, though as Hizashi had learned from the past couple of years with him, the entire Uragiri clan was that way.

The teacher ignored Chikara's outburst and continued with his speech. "Congratulations, class. As of today you are all genin. You have each successfully passed every exam and exercise and have earned the right be called ninja of the Leaf Village. Take these headbands as a symbol of your status and heritage."

The teacher called up each student to receive their headbands. Most of the students tied them around their foreheads while some opted for other places. Hizashi quickly switched his with the bandana; he didn't want anyone to see the curse mark.

"Now, as genin, you will each be assigned to teams of three with a jonin as a sensei. Here are your team assignments."

"Oh man, I wonder who my teammates will be. I hope they're strong!" Chikara exclaimed. Hizashi's smile kind of faltered; he wanted to be teamed with Chikara but was he _strong enough?_

"Team three will be Kokoro Uragiri, Tsume Inuzuka, and Bokon Akuryo." The three students looked pleased with their assignment, though Tsume spared a longing glance at Hiashi.

"Team four will be Mebuki Ito, Fugaku Uchiha, and Hiashi Hyuga." The teacher called several more teams before he got to Hizashi's team. "Team nine will be Chikara Uragiri, Ikasu Yorukobi, and Hizashi Hyuga."

Hizashi was stunned. He'd gotten teamed up with his best friends. Ikasu crushed him in a hug and Chikara gave him a triumphant smirk.

* * *

"Good afternoon. My name is Shoichi Tachibana. I'm going to be your sensei from now on. I suppose I should tell you a little about myself. I'm a descendent of the Senju Clan. My field of expertise is medical ninjutsu, though I am very adept at using it to fight. I was a member of the ANBU Black Ops, but I have always liked teaching so here I am." Shoichi had long, light grey hair that fell to his mid back with bangs that covered one of his blue eyes. He wore the standard Leaf jonin attire of a dark blue uniform and green flak jacket. He had a gentle, but firm voice. "I heard that you guys have been friends for a while. Why don't you tell me about yourselves? Your names, things you like and dislike? Dreams?"

Ikasu started. "My name's Ikasu Yorukobi. I like training, onigri, music, and turtles. I don't particularly care for sweets and my dream is to become the head of the Yorukobi Clan," she leaned close to Hizashi, "after I find a suitable husband of course."

"He doesn't like you, Ikasu." Chikara stated bluntly.

She punched him in the head. "I can always try! He might learn to like me one day!"

Shoichi caught Ikasu's hand before she could deliver another blow. "Now, now. Calm down." He looked over at Chikara, who was rubbing his head. "And you are?"

"Chikara Uragiri…ow…Things I like? I'm up for anything really; I'm adventurous. I don't like weak opponents, disappointing fights, or stupid people. A dream of mine is to master the Norogan and fix the split personality disorder it causes."

Shoichi nodded, putting his hand on Chikara's skull. His fingers glowed a familiar green color. He turned to Hizashi.

Hizashi averted his gaze and spoke. "Hi-Hizashi Hyuga. I like nature and meditation. I'm not really a fan of people or social situations. And my dream is…to become my twin brother's protector. That's all I want."

Shoichi finished up with Chikara and addressed his three students. "We're going to train a bit today and for the next couple of days, I will be testing you to determine your skills, not only in genjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu, but also teamwork. Once I have made these determinations, we will officially start operating as team nine and take missions."

It had been a long week. Shoichi had put them through every test in the book. Despite his calm, gentle demeanor, he was a rough taskmaster and demanded nothing but the best. Hizashi had expected working with his sensei would be a challenge, given his natural shyness, but Shoichi seemed to understand and was considerably less….mean to him as he was to the hot-headed Chikara and Ikasu. Not to say he went easy on the Hyuga; his medical ninjutsu proved a tough opponent for the Gentle Fist.

At the end of the week, however, Shoichi was pleased to announce that they had done very well. They took their official team photo and headed over to the Hokage building to receive their first mission.

Hizashi's first mission.


	4. The Mission

**The Mission**

"Good afternoon, team nine." Hiruzen said, looking up from the papers on his desk.

"Good afternoon, Lord Hokage." The three students greeted. Shoichi merely smiled.

Plucking a scroll from the pile, the Hokage began to speak. "Shoichi has kept me abreast of your skills and progress. There's no doubt that you three are very talented. That is why your first mission will be a C-rank."

"A C-rank! That's amazing!" Ikasu exclaimed. Hizashi and Chikara exchanged a look.

"Yes, a C-rank mission. Your mission is to escort a carpenter and his daughter back to the Hidden Moon Village. It should take about a day or two. Your charges will meet you at the main gates tomorrow morning." Hiruzen handed Shoichi the scroll and dismissed them to prepare for their mission.

"Our first mission! And it's a C-rank. The Hokage thinks we're pretty good to give us a C-rank mission right off the bat." Chikara chirped happily as he scarfed down another piece of tuna. He and Hizashi had stopped for some lunch before actually going off to pack. Hizashi had finished his plate almost twenty minutes earlier but the Uragiri had a much larger appetite…or a tapeworm. He finally finished eating and they said their goodbyes.

When Hizashi returned to the Hyuga compound, he found Hiashi in his room curled up in a ball on his bed. His hair was splayed out and he was dressed in training clothes. "You're late, Hizashi." His voice was barely above a whisper.

Hizashi understood immediately what was going. As they had gotten older, Hitori had focused more and more on Hiashi's training as the next clan head. Sometimes he went overboard and Hiashi suffered. There had been plenty of times where Hiashi had sported large, ugly bruises and walked with a noticeable limp. A couple of times, Hizashi had taken his place, having disguised his cursed seal, if only to spare his twin some of the pain. Right now was one of those times. Hiashi's arms were covered in angry red marks, showing where his chakra points had been closed off and he seemed barely able to move his body.

"I'm sorry, brother. I was with my team." Hizashi began digging through a drawer in his desk, pulling various items out.

"It's fine." Hiashi maneuvered, with some pain, so that he could watch his brother. "What are you doing?"

Hizashi mixed some things in a bowl and then took Hiashi's canteen and added the mixture to it before offering it to the boy on the bed. "Drink."

Hiashi sniffed it. "What is it?"

Hizashi sighed in frustration. "Just drink it."

Somewhat annoyed, Hiashi took a few sips and deciding it wasn't too bad, downed the rest of the canteen. Almost immediately, he started to doze off and within a few moments, he was sound asleep. Hizashi smiled. After the first time Hiashi had come to him bruised and banged, Hizashi had wanted to ease his brother's pain. He'd spent countless hours in the gardens with his mother and some of the branch women learning about all the medicinal plants and herbs. His mother had showed him a mixture for pain and Hizashi had made sure to keep a steady supply in his room.

While his brother snoozed, Hizashi meandered around his room and gathered supplies for the mission. He packed a small kit, a gift from his mother, with his herbs and plants. He also grabbed a small mixture he'd been working on. He was hoping to slip it to Chikara; it was supposed to help with split personality disorder.

As night descended upon the Hyuga household, Hizashi moved his brother's still limp body (he'd have to adjust the ingredient amounts) and climbed into bed for a night of fitful rest.

Ikasu greeted him with a hug that lasted much longer than it needed to the next morning. He then noticed their charges, a middle aged man and a girl about their age.

"Nice of you to show up, Hizashi." Shoichi teasingly reprimanded. He gestured to the man and the girl. "These are our clients, Rikuto Ueda and his daughter Mitsuko."

Rikuto was a tall, tanned man with creases under his brown eyes but an otherwise kind face. He had long graying black hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. He was clad in simple beige clothes. He smiled in greeting. "I hear the Leaf ninja are the best. Thank you very much for escorting us home."

"Yes, thank you. We really appreciate it." Mitsuko added. She was gorgeous. She had brown hair pulled up in a braid with pieces framing her face and her eyes were a brilliant sky blue. A blue and yellow day dress adorned her body.

"Oh, it's no problem. That's why we're here." Chikara said pridefully. "Now to get you guys back home."

As they settled into their walking pace, Hizashi found himself watching Mitsuko. She often scampered off the path to collect flowers and pebbles. He began to join her, adding to his kit. After a couple of hours, they decided to take a break. Ikasu and Chikara were started arguing about trivial things as usual. Rikuto was showing Shoichi samples of his works. Mitsuko and Hizashi had wandered off into the forest together.

"Your eyes are very pretty, like miniature moons." Mitsuko said, picking a small white flower and sticking it in Hizashi's hair.

"Y-you don't think I l-look blind?" Hizashi stammered. _Damn it, why am I so awkward?_

Mitsuko giggled a bit. "Well, kinda. But I figured you weren't when you didn't have a cane or anything. Do all your family members have the same eyes?"

"Yes, unfortunately. It's a little creepy sometimes."

"I bet. Must be exciting to be a ninja."

"Are you going to be a carpenter like your father?"

"Maybe," Mitsuko began climbing a tree to retrieve an apple, "but I prefer sculpting so I might do that."

Just as her fingers closed around the fruit, a kunai whistled by and lodged itself in the trunk, knocking her off balance and causing her to fall. Deflecting another oncoming kunai with his own, he caught her before she hit the ground. He told her to stay put and activated his Byakugan; four enemies were hiding in the nearby bushes.

"Show yourselves, cowards." He sounded more confident than he actually felt. This was his first real combat experience and he was alone with a civilian girl who needed protection. But he couldn't afford to lose here…because how would he ever protect the clan head if he couldn't handle some petty thugs? He shook the thoughts from his head as one of the enemies stepped into the clearing.

"Oh look, it's a Hyuga. Just what we were looking for." He smiled creepily. "Come, give me those eyes."

With one last look at Mitsuko, hiding behind the tree trunk, Hizashi threw himself at the enemy ninja. He was good, parrying his attacks and keeping him at just the right distance to prevent Hizashi from landing any damaging blows with his Gentle Fist. A scream from one of the other ninjas distracted him long enough for Hizashi to strike with a Chakra Heart Stop, incapacitating him.

Shoichi appeared in front of his student. "I took care two of them, but the third one has all but disappeared. Be careful."

Hizashi only heard half of his sensei's words. He felt a painful burn at the base of his neck and his Byakugan deactivated on its own. The world became blurry, but he willed himself to stay upright. Shoichi, having seen the location of the last enemy, went after him. Hizashi moved as fast as he could in his state of vertigo to Mitsuko. He was incredibly relieved to see her unharmed.

The rest of the journey to the Hidden Moon Village went smoothly. The enemy ninja had been sent after them once their village had learned that a Hyuga was part of the escort team. Their goal had been to capture the Byakugan and the poison had been meant to make the process easier. But they had failed and Rikuto and Mitsuko had been safely escorted to their village.

Their mission was a success.


	5. Power Trip

_I apologize for this chapter being a little short, but the next chapter is a companion chapter to it. Also, this chapter is mostly Hiashi's point of view._

**Power Trip**

"Hizashi Hyuga! I gave you a command and I expect you to execute it!" Hiashi shouted as his brother continued his leisurely walk towards the compound gates. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, I heard you." The fifteen year old recently-promoted chunin turned to gaze over his shoulder at the future clan head. "But like I said before, I have somewhere to be right now. I would attend to your demands if I didn't have a prior engagement."

Hizashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Hiashi had been on a power trip ever since their chunin exams. Of course, that had probably been his fault. When they had been matched up in the final rounds, no one had expected a branch member to defeat a main house member, especially not with secret main house techniques. Even though they had both been promoted, Hizashi was pretty sure that Hiashi had been punished substantially for his failure to defeat a branch member, even if they were twin brothers. Hiashi's defeat had been an embarrassment for Hitori; now the whole village knew that his younger son was stronger than his heir.

And that gap was increasing.

"Hizashi, I am the heir to the Hyuga Clan. You will obey me." Hiashi said, his voice steely. How dare Hizashi defy him! Twin brother or not, he was the next clan head and Hizashi was a lowly branch member. What gave him the audacity to refuse a command?

"Hiashi, I have another commitment. If it were any other time…" Hizashi started to turn back toward the gate when he caught sight of his brother's hand. "You wouldn't."

Hiashi noted with vague triumph the expression of anxiety that crossed his brother's face. He began to weave the signs for the curse seal activation. Would Hizashi dare to keep going? "Why not? I have every right to as a member of the main household. Now, Hizashi. Do what I asked."

Hizashi sighed and for a brief moment Hiashi thought he had won the argument. But then Hizashi turned resolutely back toward the gate, ignoring his brother once again.

A red haze of anger and frustration passed over the heir and before he knew it, he had activated Hizashi's seal. He'd seen the seal activated several times, but never on his brother. However, he expected screams of pain, begging, and violent thrashing. But Hizashi did none of those things. He simply crashed to the ground as if someone had removed his skeleton. Curious, Hiashi moved closer.

The seal glowed a sickly acid green on Hizashi's forehead as it razed his brain. He noticed that his brother's body was shaking uncontrollably in small tremors and his eyes were open and vacant. His breathing was raspy and uneven as he tried to inhale properly. Disturbed, Hiashi deactivated his seal and scurried off.

Once he was far enough away that no one would see him, Hiashi let the tears fall. He hadn't wanted to use the seal, but Hizashi didn't know the pressure he was under…the pressure to be the perfect heir. But he knew Hizashi would hate him for it.

"Damn it! It isn't fair…"


	6. Friendship, Part II

**Friendship, Part II**

When Hizashi hadn't shown up to the meeting spot on time, Chikara and Ikasu were immediately late. It was unlike him to be late…unless there was something up at the Hyuga compound. They had waited a few more minutes before deciding to go check it out and brought Mitsuko, who'd travelled to the Leaf Village for a commission and also to visit Hizashi.

There was no sign of Hizashi when they reached the compound.

Instead they found his brother Hiashi. His clothes were dirty and his eyes were bleary as if he'd been crying. But when they questioned him, he'd taken on an air of dignity and importance. "Hizashi was being insubordinate and had his seal activated accordingly."

"Oh my god! Hizashi!" Ikasu took off toward the Hyuga's bedroom. Chikara stared at him icily before following her, pulling Mitsuko along.

Ikasu nearly broke the door off its hinges trying to get to Hizashi. She'd grown out of her childhood crush on him, but she still regarded him with warm affection. She hated seeing him hurt, especially when his family did it and there was nothing his friends, or girlfriend, could do about it. Chikara felt the same, though he'd offered numerous times to make the main house take a dose of their own medicine. Hizashi had always refused.

When they entered his bedroom, Hizashi lay still on his bed, the steady rise and fall of his chest the only sign of life. There was a cold compress resting on his forehead, probably in an attempt to cool the burning flesh. Mitsuko pulled a chair up to his bedside and wound her fingers in his. "Is he going to be alright?" She sounded sad and worried.

"It will take a day or two, but he'll be fine. He's survived worse." Chikara answered. Accustomed to the process, he and Ikasu went on autopilot. Ikasu opened his windows, knowing that he preferred it slightly chilly in his room. Chikara gently lifted Hizashi's eyelids, noting the vacant stare. He still hadn't fully come back to consciousness.

"Are you going to heal him?" Ikasu asked, grabbing Hizashi's other hand. She noticed Mitsuko whispering sweet nothings to him and stroking his hair.

"Yeah." Chikara brought his hands together, murmuring a few words. He felt his Norogan activate and his hands glowed pink with his dark chakra. Carefully he placed his hand on Hizashi's forehead and focused his energy on neutralizing the pain and restoring his consciousness. There was a flutter of eyelids and then he opened his eyes, revealing the pale lavender orbs.

"Hey guys." He said weakly.

"Hey." Chikara and Ikasu said. Mitsuko beamed at him.

"Beautiful." Hizashi brought Mitsuko's hand to his lips. "And thanks, Chikara."

"No problem."

_I'm learning medical ninjutsu so I'll make the pain go away._

There was a soft knock at the door followed by an even softer voice. "May I come in?"

"Get lost!" Chikara snapped.

Hizashi shot him a warning glare. "Come in, Hiashi."

"Are you okay?" Hiashi asked timidly, not raising his eyes from the floor.

"No. But I will recover, thanks to my friends." Hizashi stated.

Before anyone could stop her, Ikasu had crossed the room and slapped Hiashi hard across the face. "How dare you hurt your brother like this! You bastard! If you weren't the future head of the clan, I'd have finished you long ago!" She punctuated each statement with a harsh slap.

Chikara restrained his Ikasu and sat her in the chair on Hizashi's other sides. He proceeded to explain. "I cleared up his consciousness. As you probably are unaware of, all branch members react to the curse seal in different ways. Hizashi's reaction happens to be akin to a seizure. It's not too bad and has a quick recovery time."

"I-I didn't know…I'm sorry, Hizashi." He looked like he wanted to reach out and hug Hizashi, but the three other pairs of cold eyes stopped him in his tracks. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay. You had every right to as the heir to the clan. I will make sure I follow my orders…Lord Hiashi." Hizashi smiled sadly.

Because you are main house and I am branch.

_**I know that Hizashi's reaction in the anime is much more violent, but I figure that the reaction would get worse as he got older and more bitter.**_


End file.
